need for routine hangaring and a ground-handling technique that required a comparatively small crew of eight. However, the ship, which was assembled at WAI's Weeksville facility in North Carolina, did not fly until 26 June 1991, by which time AI had collapsed and Westinghouse had taken full control of the programme. From an early stage of the programme, AI contemplated a civil version of the 5000, variously reported as accommodating between 140 and 300 passengers, for applications including both luxury shuttle services and conventional scheduled flights. However, this project was dependent on the success of the military programme. The end of Airship Industries AI made a loss of £15 million in the year to 30 June 1989, compared to £3.7 million in the preceding year and £5.1 million the year before that. In early 1990, after refinancing efforts failed, the firm sought to improve its financial position through a sale and leaseback of the Cardington facilities, an attempted sale of its US operations to Lou Pearlman's Airship International and efforts to renegotiate the YEZ-2A contract from fixed-price to cost plus. However, share trading in AI's Isle of Man–based holding company was suspended in August 1990, and administrative receivers were appointed in September. About 7-% of its debts of £50 million were owed to Alan Bond. Slingsby acquired the marketing and intellectual property rights to the civil versions of the 500, 500HL and 600—except in North America, where Airship International was the appointed agent—as well as work in progress, plant and fixed assets and UK, U.S., and Japanese type certificates. Westinghouse acquired the corresponding rights to military variants of the three designs and took full control of the YEZ-2A programme. Airship International acquired the share capital of AI's US operation, one complete and one incomplete 600, an incomplete 500HL and support equipment. The rights held by Airship International subsequently passed to Airship Management Services. Successor companies Westinghouse Airships and the fate of the Sentinel programme Westinghouse took full control of the Sentinel programme after the failure of Airship Industries, and the first flight of the Sentinel 1000 took place under Westinghouse's management in 1991. The type certificates for the 500HL and 600 designs, which had initially passed to Slingsby, were acquired by Westinghouse in 1993. Aside from the Sentinel 1000's role as a demonstrator for the 5000, Westinghouse promoted the 1000 itself for roles such as demonstrating over-the-horizon targeting and acting